Principal Turbo Hydrodynamicist

The role

You will own the hydrodynamic design of rocket engine turbopumps. This includes driving design trades, predicting performance, and following hardware from concept through build and testing.

What you will do

• Own pump primary and secondary flowpath hydrodynamic design from concept through qualification.
• Drive hydrodynamic design for maximum efficiency and suction performance.
• Ensure hardware meets performance across the full operating box.
• Lead hydrodynamic analysis and validate against powerpack and engine test data.
• Define and execute pump test campaigns.
• Work directly with manufacturing to iterate and resolve fabrication and assembly issues.
• Support hot-fire operations, anomaly investigation, and post-test hardware inspection.
• Develop tools and best practices for the rest of the organization.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field.
• 12+ years of experience in turbomachinery hydrodynamic or aerodynamic design and analysis for flight hardware or high-performance rotating machinery.
• Experience with pump sizing, specific speed and suction specific speed selection, blade and passage geometry definition, and material selection for pumped-fluid compatibility.
• Experience with secondary flow and axial thrust analysis.
• Hands-on experience taking rotating hardware from design through build and test.

Nice to have

• Experience with liquid cryogenic rocket engine turbopumps or reusable propulsion systems.
• Strong background in cavitation and suction performance, including thermodynamic suppression head and cavitation instabilities.
• Experience with turbine aerodynamics—nozzle and blade row design.
• Experience integrating hydro, aero, secondary flow and/or thrust balance results with rotordynamics and structural teams.
• Familiarity with cryogenic fluids and/or high-speed, high-power-density rotors.
• Proficiency with CFD and meanline/throughflow tools and ability to correlate to real-world test data.
• Experience mentoring or leading engineers.

Benefits

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year
• Paid parental leave
• Relocation assistance if applicable
• Daily lunch in the office
• Fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

Before you apply

• Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Depar

About the company

Cowboy Space Corporation is building the infrastructure for space-based solar energy. The company is based in San Carlos, CA.